The Girl in the Mirror
by krisrat
Summary: Voldemort stumbles across an ancient spell that will change Harry's life forever. Set during OOTP and diverges pretty sharply from there. May use some elements of HBP.
1. Prologue

The Girl in the Mirror

((((Author's note: This is currently unbetaed, and came from a conversation on a group I belong to that there had yet to be written a believable Girl!Harry story that actually involved a change in gender, so I took it upon myself to write one. I hope you enjoy it. I will be stealing some elements from many stories. I do not own any of the characters or situations involved, so don't sue me.)))

His entire life, Severus Snape had loved potions. He viewed it as the greatest of all forms of magic, the most powerful of them all. Any dunce with a wand, he would reason, could kill a man painlessly, or mend a broken bone. But with the most subtle potions, a poison could be brewed that was so untraceable that the only one who knew the victim had been poisoned would be the assassin himself, with everyone else seeing the poor victim fall to a debilitating and painful illness, as the potion would mimic a dangerous and deadly disease. A slight adjustment to that same potion, and it would mend a broken bone to the point that there would be no scar whatsoever, in fact the bones themselves would be stronger for it. As he created each potion, he viewed it as a work of art.

He knew he wasn't the best teacher, but he was not going to mollycoddle a group of brats into thinking they were great brewers because they could follow instructions out of a book. In fact, of the entire fifth year roster, in all 4 houses, there were only five students who he would say could brew perfect potions. Blaise Zabini and Daphne Greengrass from his own house, Padma Patil from Ravenclaw, Susan Bones from Hufflepuff, and, he loathed to admit, Hermione Granger from Gryffindor. Four purebloods, and a muggleborn. He would, of course, lavish praise on his own students, (and equal but undeserved praise on that little snot of a godson of his Draco), and acknowledge the successes of Patil and Bones. Had Granger been in any house, or even been a friend of anyone but Potter, he would at least have given her less grief.

All these thoughts were running through Snape's mind as he sat and graded papers during the combined 5th year Gryffindor/Slytherin potions class. And as if the little brat could read his mind, he saw Potter raise his head to glare at Snape, who just glared right back. The mutual staredown would have continued until he either made potter's life miserable or the bell rang, but the inside of his left arm began to burn, and the mark hidden beneath the sleeve turned a deep red, almost black. Snape was being summoned.

"Class dismissed." He called out, knowing that no one would complain about a five minute reprieve. "Mr. Malfoy, ensure that all potions are bottled and placed on my desk." He swept from the room, making certain to keep one arm behind him to keep his cloak flaring out as he turned… he had an image to maintain after all. The sound of breaking glass and the indignant squawk of some poor Gryffindor almost put a spring in his step as he made his way to the headmaster to let him know of the summons he had just received.

Several hours later, the largest group of Death Eaters that Snape had ever seen assembled at one time gathered in a large field where they had been called. Many were unmasked, some probably even unmarked, and Snape made mental note, with some surprise in a few cases, of those he saw there. The toad-like Madam Umbridge gave him a little wave and a girlish giggle, answering an unasked question of his, and making him feel abit sick. He noted several students, including a hufflepuff, two ravenclaws, and a Gryffindor besides the expected crowd of slytherin supporters. All in all the 10 students gathered with their defense professor, each giving him a nod of greeting or a curious look. He made his way to his place at the left of the dark lord's silent visage, bellatrix lestrange in position at Voldemort's right. To her right was the sniveling worm Pettigrew, and Lucius malfoy stood to snape's left, sneering out at the crowd.

"SILENCE!" The dark lord called out, and all conversation ceased as all the assembled and marked death eaters knelt quickly, the uninitiated following quickly. There would likely be no punishment curses at this meeting, snape realized as their slowness to kneel went unpunished, likely owing to the Dark Lord beginning to realize that the cruciatus curse did not win followers as easily as it swayed the opinions of the disobedient.

Voldemort gazed out at his assembled followers, a sneer on his snake-like face. He removed a sheet from the silver pedestal in front of him, and pulled a chained object from his robes. "Today, we make history." He smirked "Or rather, re-make history. With this.. and a spell that has come to my attention, we shall finally be rid of Harry Potter once and for all!" A cheer went up from the assembled, especially from some of the students, at that proclamation.

From his spot to Voldemort's left, Severus was becoming uncomfortable. He had no way to slip out of this meeting, no chance at getting a message to Hogwarts. Dumbledore had rammed into his head time and again that their chance of victory lay with Harry Potter, for reasons Severus did not begin to understand, and any chance at continuing his life at a spy would require him to find some way to deliver a warning back to Hogwarts. That seemed impossible, however, and Severus could only hope that Dumbledore would buy the fact that Severus had no warning about this latest plot. He just increased his concentration and turned to focus back on the spell the dark lord was beginning.

"I call upon Chronos, guardian of time, by blood let the gate be opened!" He cut his wrist and let a drop of blood fall on the time turner, which suddenly began to light up, and slowly turn. "I call upon Artemis, goddess of the home, with flame I command, turn your eye from this child! With the silk of a spider, I call upon Atropos, let his thread be cut short. I call upon Lachesis, let his thread be unwoven, and I call upon Clotho, let his thread be unspun. Let the child of James and Lily Potter be unraveled from the tapestry of time. FILIUS PEREO!" He thrust his wand at the time turner, and a stream of bright white light shot from it, and a mist began to swirl around the podium. Sounds of amazement came from some of those assembled as the mist took the form of a sleeping Harry potter, laying in his bed at Hogwarts. Suddenly the images eyes shot open, and the sounds of Potter screaming in pain resounded through the room. Voldemort gave a tight smile of triumph, and poured more of his concentration into the connection. The image of potter began to emit light from its eyes and ears, a very deep purple light, matched by the color of the time turner.

Then the tide turned. Suddenly the purple light flickered green, but not the sickly green of the killing curse, but a brighter, purer green. Potter continued to scream, but suddenly voldemort joined him in screaming. The time turner's lazy revolutions sped up, until it was just a blur of motion. Suddenly Snape could hear the sound of phoenix song, and in a flash of green, the image of potter disappeared, and the white light pouring from voldemort's wand reversed itself. The image of a spider seemed to crawl up the strand of light, and the face of the dark lord seemed to melt into itself. Voldemort's face seemed to begin to melt, and suddenly pain shot from the dark Mark on the arm of every death eater there, and the smell of burning flesh filled the air. Then in a blast of purple light and the sound of something being ripped apart, the timeturner and podium it stood upon exploded, throwing the inner circle and voldemort himself back several feet, and knocking out everyone in the area.

Severus awoke to groans and cries of pain. He noticed several wizards and witches looking at their wrists, and realized that the white masks and robes had vanished, leaving many of them in day robes or house robes. He looked at his own arm and saw only raw, red skin where his mark had once been. A supposition began to crawl up his spine, and he looked for the figure of his master. He found him laid out on the ground a few feet away, being tended to by Bellatrix lestrange. A longer look made him realize that the transformations that Voldemort had sacrificed so much of himself for had been stripped away, and only the form of Tom Riddle, age 68, lay still on the ground. Severus couldn't tell whether he was alive or not. Lucius Malfoy, apparently, had decided he didn't need to wait.

"This!" He cried out, "Is all we have to look forward to serving this half-blooded fool. Yes! Voldemort was a half-blood. A powerful one, but a half-blood nonetheless! I call upon you, purebloods of noble decent, to join me in a movement of true purity!"

"Why should we follow you!" One voice cried out. "What would the dark lord think of your words!"

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Malfoy cast, and the dissenter fell to the floor dead. From his position to one side, severus couldn't tell who cast the next spell, but suddenly spells were flying around the room. Old scores were being settled first, he realized, as the lestrange brothers both fell to Nott's wand, who was then felled by Draco Malfoy. The students assembled seemed to be panicing, shooting what spells they knew to protect themselves, but unable to keep any who would attack them at bay. Umbridge tried to herd them away, but they were divided up, as some parents called their children to them, and others seemed to almost ignore their presence. He kept himself under cover, until he saw the figure of voldemort stirring, as if fighting for breath. None seemed to care what was happening, in fact Pettigrew was creeping up behind Lestrange with his wand raised as she tried to provide cover for her fallen master. Snape made a snap decision, and quickly dropped Pettigrew with the killing curse. Bellatrix shot him a grateful look, and he made his way to her. The two cast a strong dome-shaped shield over them, and crouched over the fallen dark wizard.

"Master…" Snape whispered, realizing the opportunity being presented him here, "Can you hear me?"

"I… can," Riddle coughed. Voldemort just no longer seemed a name for him, not at the moment at least. "Who is still faithful among my men?"

The two uninjured wizards exchanged glances. "Just the two of us, my lord. Nott was as well, no doubt, but he has been killed by the younger malfoy."

Riddle coughed, blood staining his lips. "Traitors, all of them. Bella…. Use your portkey, and take me back to the manor. Severus…. Kill any you wish. Then use the old man to have the rest arrested. Let none of them escape."

"Yes master," Severus whispered, and the two disappeared. The shield fell, and Snape quickly and coldly dispatched Umbridge, Malfoy Sr, and the other undersecretary that was in attendance, MacLeod. He then grabbed his order portkey, and was quickly whisked to the Headquarters of the order of the Phoenix. He ignored the decrepit house elf, and tossed a handful of floo powder into the fireplace.

"Headmaster's office, Hogwarts!" He called, and stepped into the fireplace. He was scanned by one of the headmaster's security spell, and then allowed to step out into the office itself. "Headmaster!" He called out, "Are you here?"

"Yes I am, Severus. I am hoping you can shed some light on what has been happening with Mr. Potter."

Severus quickly recounted the meeting, and then gave the coordinates of the meeting place, where the little civil war was no doubt still going on. Dumbledore nodded, and floo-called Amelia Bones, who dispatched orders to her best aurors to arrest and detain, with lethal force authorized. That done, Dumbeldore turned a somber expression to his potion's master.

"Thank you for your help in this, old friend. Now I have another matter that I could use your help with, in the hospital wing. As you I am sure can surmise, we have… a situation with Mr. Potter. Anything you can do would be appreciated, both by me, and his friends."

"Just what is wrong with that little brat this time?" He snapped, still abit tetchy from the drama that he was just involved in.

"Severus, please. I know you do not hate Mr. Potter nearly as much as you let on, and with the decline of Voldemort's following, I do not feel you need to act as harshly as you have been. But Mr. Potter is…has suffered from the spell, and is still not conscious. We have taken him to a private room, and I have assured his friends that we would do everything we can to take care of him. Please, come with me."

Severus nodded, and followed Dumbledore to the hospital wing. Outside the main room, he noted the 2 youngest weasleys, granger , and lovegood waiting anxiously in some chairs outside a closed off area. Dumbledore greeted them warmly, and snape just nodded to them as they passed the privacy curtains, and entered the closed bed area. Snape looked at the body laying in the bed, barely breathing and quite bloody, then back at the headmaster in disbelief. Dumbledore just nodded sadly, and snape turned back to face the bed again.

"Oh sweet Merlin," he breathed.


	2. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

Pain was nothing new to Harry Potter, but the experience he awoke from put even the Cruciatus Curse to shame. It had felt as if his entire body was being torn apart, one piece at a time. He blinked, taking in the glaring white of the hospital wing, and tried to look around. His entire body ached, and he couldn't seem to move. His eyes flickered to his left, and noticed Snape sitting at his side, staring at him with an unreadable expression. He blinked a few time, and Snape started, and let his face fall into its customary sneer.

"Welcome back, Potter." He said. Though Harry could tell he was trying to be his usual snippy self, the professor's tone was different, lighter, almost. Before he could even attempt to speak, Snape shook his head. "Don't bother trying to talk, Potter. You are still under several sedation, and immobilization, spells so you can be monitored. I'm sure you want to know, you have been unconscious for 10 days. I will fetch the headmaster and let him know you've awakened."

With that, the sallow man rushed out of the room, not even trying to hide the fact that he wanted to be anywhere but in the same room with Harry. Harry contented himself to try to look around as best he could without moving his head. His body was covered by a thick blanket, he could tell, and the room he was in was closed off, no other beds inside of it.

"I'm glad to see you awake, Mr. Potter." Harry flicked his eyes to the door and saw the Headmaster staring at him, looking every bit like the ancient wizard he was. For the first time Harry could remember, he looked very old. But, he noticed with relief, at least the old man was looking him in the eye again.

"I'm going to presume that you don't mind me sitting next to you, Harry, as there is much to be discussed, and I wanted a chance to talk to you before I allow your friends to come in. Madame Pomfrey will be in to lift the spells from you in a few hours, once we make sure that there will be no further ill effects, but… there are some things you need to understand first. So please, just bear with me and I will fill you in as best I can. Blink twice for me if you understand." Harry felt a growing sense of dread filling him, but blinked for the headmaster, indicating he should continue. "From what I have been told by Severus, 10 days ago Voldemort summoned his followers… all of them… to his headquarters to bear witness to a ritual meant to kill you. Apparently he had stolen a time turner from the Department of Mysteries, or perhaps managed to come across one through some other channel, and invoked an ancient spell meant to… well... meant to erase you from existence." Harry's eyes widened in horror, "Fortunately, he was not successful, and the spell mostly failed." Dumbledore sighed and looked down a moment. "The… the Dark Lord was severely injured, almost killed, from the backlash of the spell, and caused a major fracas among the Death Eaters. Several were killed, several more arrested. As it stands now, Voldemort has only one faithful follower in bellatrix lestrange, and will probably be unable to do more that just barely function for at least 5 months, if not longer. So the good news is that you will not have to worry about him or his men for quite some time." There was some commotion at the door, and Dumbledore paused. "Harry… there have been some… very serious… side effects of the spell placed upon you. Your friends have been briefed, but we need to discuss them. Would you rather them be present when I tell you, or do you want some time alone first. Please blink 2 times if you want them to stay out, and 3 if you want them to come in."

Harry had never been more scared in his life, at least not that he could remember. Sure there was some good news in learning that Voldemort would not be causing trouble for awhile, but something had happened to him, something that the headmaster seemed reluctant to tell him, and Harry wasn't sure if he could stand it on his own. He wanted his friends with him, so he blinked 3 times, quickly. The headmaster sighed, and waved his wand at the door. It promptly burst inwards, and Ron and Hermione rushed into the room, skidding to a dead stop at the foot of his bed. As one, both turned wide eyes to Dumbledore, who just nodded his head gravely. Hermione went white as a ghost, and began shaking her head, tears running down her eyes. Dumbledore watched her sadly as she backed away, and just as quickly turn and run out of the room.

Harry had just past scared and was approaching terrified at the speed of a flying hippogriff.

Ron just stared at him, eyes wide, face pale, until he suddenly blurted out. "Merlin's bollocks! You're a WITCH!"

At that point, Harry passed out.

He was awakened by a horrid smell, and opened his eyes to see a tutting Poppy Pomphrey holding a vial under his nose. A sheepish Dumbledore stood next to her, being remonstrated for causing Harry too much excitement. Harry cleared his throat, and both of the adults turned to face him. Pomphreys' face softened.

"Hello again, Mr. Potter." She said calmly. "I've removed most of the spells from you, though your voice may not return fully yet. I'm sure you're hungry, but I'm going to keep you on liquids for a day or so to make sure that everything is… working as it should." Harry nodded, his eyes drawn to his form under the blanket, afraid to know if Ron's blurted statement was what it sounded like. The matron noticed his reluctance, and pulled Dumbledore away for a moment. "We'll be right back, Mr…. Harry. There are some things you and I will need to discuss."

The two left the room, and Harry braced himself, and lifted the blanket from his body. He stared a moment, taking in the two most prominent differences he saw, and whimpered. He lifted himself up just a bit, noting that not only was he totally nude under the hospital gown, but that there was also something missing. Ron wasn't making anything up. He was a girl.

Pomphrey found him curled in a ball, crying his eyes out, when she came in a few moments later. She sat down and gathered him into her arms, and let hjm cry for awhile.

When he finally got ahold of himself, she smiled at him gently. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions, Harry." She said. "But first, lets take a look at you, shall we?"

"I'm… I'm not sure I want to" He whispered, his own voice sounding foreign to him. It was softer, and he was defiantly slightly hoarse to be sure, but it was a lilting voice, abit higher pitched than Hermione, but not quite as much as Luna.

"I know this is difficult for you… well, I can imagine at least, but… I don't know if this can be fixed, Harry. The Headmaster has called in several favors from the Department of Mysteries and the Confederation, but… This is not something that has been encountered before. Even if a solution is found, it will not be anytime soon. You need to be comfortable until then."

Harry nodded slowly, and allowed her to bring him a hand mirror. As he took in the auburn hair and the pale face "I looked my father before, so it makes sense I would look like my mum" he thought; Pomprey filled him in on some of his changes.

"You were already fairly small," she said, "but you are abit shorter than you were before, though you haven't lost much weight, thank Merlin. Your robes will need to be altered, to be sure. I'm going to keep you in hospital for another few days, both to keep an eye on you, and let you get adjusted before we reintroduce you to the student population. I will make sure you have suitable clothing," she glanced down briefly at his chest, causing him to do the same, and then blush. "We will get you measured, and have you fitted for anything you like."

"No dresses or skirts!" He said resolutely, but poppy shook her head and sighed.

"That is your choice of course, Harry, but… well, you may change your mind." She regarded him for a moment longer. "Do you want to see anyone?"

"I don't know" he whispered. "Is there anyone that wants to see me?"

"I know the reactions of the two in here earlier were not of much help to you, but yes, there are some that want to see you. Ms. Lovegood has been waiting patiently for some time, would you like to see her?"

Harry nodded, and the matron left, presumably to find Luna. On her way out, she waved her wand at nearby coat rack, and it turned into a full length mirror, and pulled a privacy curtain around it. "You have changed a lot, Harry. You need to come to terms with those changes."

Harry gulped, and regarded the mirror with trepidation. He knew he needed to look, to see the changes he had undergone, but the whole concept terrified him. He stared long and hard at the face in the hand mirror a while longer, moving his long hair aside to see that the scar on his forehead, while still present, was quite faded, and would be hidden if he kept his hair in his face. Finally coming to terms with what he was about to see, he stood, then padded over to the mirror, his whole body stiff and his center of gravity thrown way off. He felt like Tonks with as much tripping as he was doing. He pulled the curtain back, and shut it again on his was in, and faced the mirror in front of him.

The small girl he saw was one that he would have probably labeled as "cute" though nowhere near a knockout beauty. She was abit shorter than he had been before, and thin, though somehow softer than what he expected. Probably the result of nutrient potions, he decided. Her long reddish hair went past her shoulders, and, he discovered turning slightly, that it went all the way down her back almost to her bottom. He took a very deep breath, and shrugged off the hospital gown, exposing the rest of the girl in the mirror.

Most boys, at least, based on what he had heard in the dorms, talked about how they would love to be a girl for a day, and that they probably would never leave the mirror if they could stare all they wanted. Harry just couldn't bring himself to be interested enough in anything but what he looked like now. The girls…. His frame was smaller, though his ribs were not as visible as they had been in the past. Feeling slightly sick, he took in the differences that had only been hinted at under his hospital robes. Harry was no expert in breasts, never having seen any that he could remember except a quick embarrassed glance at a dirty magazine Seamus had snuck in before, but he knew the two he saw were smaller than most, though he had no concept of a "cup-size." As best as he could tell, he was smaller than Hermione, probably about even with Ginny or Cho, though the thought bothered him, for some reason, on a level he wasn't really able to express. His eyes drifted down, taking in (and quickly skipping over) the small patch of hair between his legs, and the lack of any real definition he could see that would not require any real exploration. He wasn't anywhere NEAR ready for that, though he had a feeling he would be forced to eventually.

Madame Pomphrey found him 10 minutes later, his head against the glass of the mirror, tears running down his face.

"Harry? Do you want to get dressed and come talk to me?"

Harry sniffled, cursing his inability to stop crying. "Y… yes madam." He picked up his hospital robes and tied them back on, as tightly as he could to ensure nothing would be exposed. "Why is everyone suddenly calling me Harry, and not Mr. Potter?"

The matron sighed, "It would hardly seem appropriate to address you, as you look now, as Mr. Potter, and Miss Potter, while accurate, will probably take you some getting used to."

It made sense, to Harry, but it didn't stop him from getting upset. "But I AM Mr. Potter! I'm NOT A GIRL!"

"Harry… Mr. Potter. Calm down. There's no reason to get so upset."

In frustration, Harry grabbed his chest and screamed, "I CAN THINK OF 2 BLOODY GOOD REASONS TO BE UPSET!"

"Language!"

He took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, Madam Pomphrey, but…" He sniffled again.

She nodded, and reached over to a table, handing him a steaming glass. "Drink this. It's a calming draught. I've just finished speaking to Professor Dumbledore, and I think you will probably need it."

He nodded, and then thought of something as he drank the potion down. "Where's Luna?"

"She will be in shortly. I asked her to give me a few extra minutes to talk to you, because I just spoke to professor Dumbledore."

"What happened?"

"He just spoke to a friend of his at the Department of Mysteries. They were testing a polyjuice concoction using some hair that was pulled from your comb, and anything else they could find."

"So they can make a polyjuice to make me look like myself again?"

She shook her head. "No. The hair was completely unreactive. The reason polyjuice works is that every piece of a person, muggle or magical, has some magic in it. Your hairs… didn't. They have tried every combination they could think of, and promise to continue to work, but… it doesn't look like that option will ever succeed."

Harry nodded, abit sullenly.

"Would you like me to bring in Miss Lovegood?"

"Yes ma'am. Please."

"Alright." She gave Harry a hug, then walked to the door, opened it and admitted the slightly odd blonde girl who was waiting outside.

"Hello Harry." Luna said. Her tone made him look up at her sharply. It sounded broken, and not at all like the dreamy girl he was used to. Her cheeks were puffy and her eyes red.

"Hullo Luna," He said. He didn't know what made him do it, but he suddenly needed some kind of contact, and reached out to her.

She didn't even hesitate and threw herself into his arms. "I've been worried about you," she said as she hugged him, "When I met you on the train, I could tell that… that you would become important to me. I've never met anyone like you before, and when I heard you were hurt, and that you had… been changed… I was scared for you."

"I don't know what to do, Luna." He confessed. "Ron freaked out, and Hermione… just ran away. I'm glad to see you, I really am, but… I feel so lost."

"I'm here for you Harry. And so is Ginevra, and I know Ronald and Hermione will be when they work through this as well."

He nodded, and sighed. "Everything is so different."

"I can imagine," Luna giggled slightly. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Just…. Don't leave me?" He yawned slightly, wondering if there was more to that calming draught than just the potion itself.

"I won't Harry. I promise." She paused. "You should probably sleep some more, you look tired. And I'm supposed to tell you that Professor Lupin and his dog will be here to see you in the morning." She handed him a large flagon of some sort of pink potion.

"What's that?"

"Madam Promphrey asked me to give this to you. It's a nutrient potion."

"Yech. More potions."

Luna smiled slightly. "Don't worry. This one tastes like a strawberry milkshake."

"Luna… why do you seem different? No offense, but you're usually more…"

"Dotty?"

"I would have said dreamy!" Harry protested.

"I promise I'll explain sometime. But… it helps me. Now drink your potion." Harry nodded and did so, and as he did he noticed her eyes unfocus slightly, and appear abit larger than usual, and suddenly shinier. She gave him a dreamy smile and wandered out of the hospital wing. Harry just had time to wonder what that was all about as he set the flagon down, then laid down to sleep some more.


	3. Chapter 2

Authors Note: Okay, everything prior to this chapter has been written for some time and has just been sitting around and collecting dust on my hard drive, but from here out I'm writing it fresh. I'm not sure of the eventual length of this, though I hope to update at least once a week, if not more. Please be patient with me if it doesn't happen. There will be darker elements in this story, hence the mature rating. This is a very rough chapter. In fact, it's a very rough story, and will probably be re-done in the future. I'm just posting it now as I go. So forgive any problems until I get a beta. Thanks!

AND PLEASE REVIEW!

Chapter 2

Remus arrived at Hogwarts that evening, with Sirius along with him. They had some good news to pass along to him, and hoped that it would help things seem alittle bit better to Sirius' transformed godson. Upon arrival, they were briefed on the changes Harry had been through, the reactions of his friends, and the steps they were trying to undertake to reverse or mitigate the changes in Harry. The two Marauders were surprised at the effort that Severus Snape was putting into trying to help Harry, despite the man's known animosity towards Harry and his friends. Poppy informed them that the potions she had given him would keep Harry under for the rest of the night and into the next day as the nutrient potions began to work to undue the malnourishment that he had undergone, made even worse by the magics that had wreaked havoc on his body. So they settled down to wait. During the course of the night they tried to find Ron and Hermione, both who seemed very shaken up. Hermione wouldn't even talk to them about it and ran off quickly, and Ron was obviously unsure of what to think. They did have a long opportunity to talk to Luna Lovegood, who seemed reluctant to stay away from Harry for too long of a period of time, and came in to check on him every hour or two until curfew. As they waited, they couldn't help but notice how much Harry now looked like his mother did at that age, right down to the hair and eyes.

"I'm telling you, Moony. The first time I laid eyes on the changes, I would have sworn Evans was lying in that bed, and I was almost afraid to get to close and risk getting hexed. Again."

"Its your own fault that you got hexed that one time, Padfoot. You tried to turn her hair purple while she was asleep and you got caught." Remus replied, chuckling.

"You try to turn my hair purple, and I'll curse you too," came a weak voice from the bed. The two men quickly pulled their chairs over to join Harry. "Hey Sirius. Professor Lupin." Harry started, "Sirius! You shouldn't be here! You could get caught, and they'd throw you back in prison!"

"Calm down, pup." Sirius said with a smile. "Pettigrew was at Voldemorts little ritual, and…" he paused and swallowed, "Well, he was hit by the killing curse. But the minister couldn't deny the evidence there, so there's been a lot of changes around England. I've been pardoned, and given some compensation for my time in prison."

"That's great!! I'm glad that rat got what was coming to him."

"Harry," Lupin said tightly, "I know that you won't understand this but… Peter was our friend for a very long time before everything came undone. I know when we cornered him in the Shack it seemed like we would kill him but… the reality that he's gone is still hard to cope with sometimes."

Harry looked suitably chastised "I'm sorry, Professor."

"Its alright, Harry. And please, when we're not in class, you can call me Remus. Or Mooney."

"I know, its just… wait. In class?"

"That's right. I am once again your Defense Against the Dark arts teacher. And this reprobate next to me is my assistant professor. Maybe between the two of us we can break any 'curse' that may be on the job."

"Brilliant! But what about umbridge?"

"Turns out she was a death eater… or at least one of you-know-who's supporters. She was one of the casualties of that meeting. Fudge didn't last long after that came out." Sirius responded

"So what's been going on?"

"Lets see… The new minister is Madam Amelia Bones… I think you remember her from your trial." Lupin waited for Harry to nod, "She immediately made Arthur her Undersecretary and official Liason to the order of the Phoenix. She promoted Kingsley to head of the DMLE, and gave you an official waiver from the underage magic restrictions, as long as you follow the secrecy laws." Harry perked up noticeably at that. "Several students were implicated at being at the meeting, and supporting the Dark Lord. They have been placed under House Arrest here at Hogwarts. Unfortunatly there isn't enough evidence against them for prison, but most seem to be cooperating with authorities after what they saw at the meeting."

"Malfoy?"

"Lucius was killed at the meeting. Draco is still here at Hogwarts, but several students that were there say they saw him casting the killing curse. He's on very thin ice right now, and has lost most of his estate."

Harry nodded, and settled back for a moment, then looked at Sirius a moment. "Back in third year, you offered to…" he trailed off a moment, but Sirius broke into a huge smile.

"The offer stands, Pup. In fact, Dumbledore is insisting on it, after the Dursleys… well…"

"What?"

"Vernon had some choice words about it, and Petunia said that there was no way they could take in a girl and have their nephew disappear."

"I'm sure that they put it that well, too."

Remus snorted, then looked down at the small form in the bed. "How are you holding up, cub?"

Harry sighed, and then shrugged. "It all still seems really surreal. I mean... I can't help but notice some things, but…" Harry paused. "Everyone has been really weird. Luna treated me normal, and you two have for the most part but… its like I have some terminal disease or something with how everyone else has been acting."

Sirius nodded. "I've noticed the same thing when I've tried talking to your friends. All of them aren't sure what to do." He looked around a moment, then said, "Would you like to take a walk? Stretch your legs some?"

Harry nodded. "Yes please!"

"Alright," Sirius said, "Let me get you some robes and some other clothes, and you can get dressed."

The two men left the room, Sirius returning long enough to drop off a pile of clothes and run off blushing. Harry wondered what that was all about until he spotted 2 particular articles of clothing on top of the pile.

"OH HELL NO!" He shouted.

"I'm afraid if you want to leave this room, you will need to be appropriately dressed." Madam Pomphrey said from the door. "And I know its hard to wrap your head around, but… you need to wear different types of clothes now. You need support in areas you didn't before."

"But… but we're going to fix this!"

"We're going to TRY to fix this, Harry. I don't think you understand just how difficult the task in front of our researcher is."

"Then tell me!"

Poppy stared hard at him for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. But I want to forewarn you, you are not going to like what I have to say. Albus didn't want me to tell you all of this, but I think you need to understand just what is going on."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. Do you need anything?"

"No…. why haven't I needed to… umm…. Use the loo?"

"Spells, Harry, on your bladder and bowels."

"Sorry I asked," he muttered.

"Anyway. I want you to get dressed, and then I will tell you everything we know. Alright?"

Harry sulked, but nodded. 10 embarrassing minutes later, Harry was fully dressed, in girls underclothing, a shirt, trousers, and a work robe. The potions had put alittle more weight on him, and he was now, according to the mediwitch, a petite, but mostly average girl. Squirming abit at the feeling of the bra he was made to wear (an a-cup, he discovered, again feeling an odd twinge at the information), he sat in a chair with a cup of tea facing the older woman.

"Alright, Harry. Here is what we know: there has never been a recorded full gender transformation like this in recorded history that has been reversed. Metamorphmagi are able to change surface features, and some very accomplished ones have been able to simulate gender changes though none have been complete. There are spells and curses which can remove parts, but again, cannot affect a change. Professor Dumbledore has contacted a friend in Asia who said that they have heard of a cursed spring in the area that supposedly can change the form of a person, including gender, but they are fairly certain that it is not permanent, nor a solution as they are called cursed for a reason." Harry paled slightly as she continued. "Professor Snape has gathered some of the greatest potions masters in the world to attempt to create a potion to alter gender, but again, you are talking about a change to the building blocks of a human being. The department of mysteries has all but surrendered, as every idea they have come up with has not worked."

"I didn't mean to cause so much trouble" Harry whispered, and the matron smiled softly.

"Harry… you survived a spell that has been used 12 times in history. Every single one of them has caused the death of the target, as well as everyone around them. None seemed to have actually erased someone from existence, but has… unmade them somehow, and the backlash of magic was fatal to anyone around. Not only that, but in surviving, you decimated You-know-who's forces and caused him serious injury. No one minds doing this for you."

Harry bowed his head, realizing that normalcy was no longer even remotely in his grasp. "I'm… I'm gonna be a girl forever, aren't I?"

"Unfortunatly that seems to be the most likely outcome."

Harry felt himself tearing up again, but ruthlessly suppressed the emotion, and nodded. "What do I need to do?"

"I think right now, you need to go meet your godfather and his friend, and take a walk. I'll release you from the hospital in a few days, and you can go back to Gryffindor and be with your friends. Just try to live your life, changed as it is. I promise you will have support in anything you need help with."

Harry nodded, and stood, thanking her for telling him everything she knew. He went out and met Sirius and Remus, and let the two of them take her around the school. Classes were still in session, so there were very few students around, and it seemed like, though they gave Harry a passing glance, they didn't seem to pay too much attention.

"Why aren't they all.. crowding me?"

"The Headmaster felt that it would be better to allow you to re-introduce yourself to your life before springing the school on you. So right now, you're just another pretty face in the crowd." Sirius responded, and Harry scowled.

"Harry…" Remus said, "You have to understand, you look a great deal like your mother now, and she was a very pretty girl. You are going to get some attention, and you need to be ready for it. Besides, I'm fairly certain Sirius was teasing."

"Hey! I was Serious!" He smirked, "Its my name."

"Harry… I hope you enjoyed your time with your godfather. Because I'm going to have to kill him now."

Harry laughed as he watched Sirius run away quickly, Remus chasing after him, wand drawn. The two men had led Harry to the Quidditch pitch, and were capering around now like a pair of first years. It felt good to be outside, and Harry enjoyed the feel of the breeze through his (much longer) hair. Harry was snapped out of his musings by a small hand on his shoulder.

"Hello Harry."

"Hi luna. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing well. You seem to be happier than the last time I saw you."

"I think I am. I know its not going to be easy to cope, but… I have family to help me."

"You have your friends too, Harry." Came another voice. Harry turned, and saw Hermione standing there. Her eyes were red and puffy, but she grabbed him into a hug. She apparently didn't realize she was now abit bigger than him, and breathing soon became an issue.

"Hermione, you might want to let Harry go. That's a rather unbecoming shade of blue he's turning." Luna stated, causing Hermione to release Harry rather quickly.

Ron took her place, giving Harry a short and somewhat uncomfortable handshake, followed by a hug from Ginny. The five friends chatted for awhile as night fell on the castle.

Harry was told to stay in the hospital wing for the following 2 nights, but on the third day he was released to go back to Gryffindor tower. Harry very gratefully fled the room as soon as he was able, just missing Professor McGonnagall entering the room.

"Where did Harry go?" She asked Dumbledore.

"Back to the tower" the headmaster replied. "Harry seemed most anxious to get back to a real bed, in his words."

"You did tell him that he would be using the Head Students room, right?"

Dumbledore paled. "No, Minerva. I thought you had said you would be taking care of that."

"Oh dear. We need to find Harry."

In the meantime, Harry had headed towards the common room, suddenly missing it a great deal. He gave the password to the portrait of the Fat Lady, who gave him an odd look but let him in. He headed up the stairs to his room, realizing that most of the students were probably getting ready for bed. He entered his old dormitory, to find that his bed was missing. He turned to Dean Thomas, who was staring at him opened mouth, next to a grinning Seamus Finnegan.

"Where's my bed?" Harry asked, confused.

"Moving in here, are you sweetheart?" Seamus asked, in a very lewd voice. "I've got room in my bed for you!"

Harry flushed at his tone, "No… you don't understand."

"This is the boy's dorm," Dean said firmly, elbowing Seamus. "I don't know who you are but you need to leave so we can get ready for bed."

"But…" Harry backed out, feeling very confused and lost. He stumbled down the stairs and stood looking up the staircase. He sighed, realizing that he obviously wouldn't be sleeping in the boys dorms anymore, and turned to the other set of stairs. He took a deep breath, and headed towards the girls stairs. He started up, but three stairs up the passage, an alarm sounded and the stairs turned to a slide, sending him sprawling to the common room floor. Commotion sounded from above as heads poked out to see who had triggered the girls-only alarms, and hurt, confused, and very embarrassed, Harry fled the common room.

Harry wandered the halls for the next few hours, trying to figure out what to do. He knew he shouldn't be out after curfew, so he had to turn several times to avoid different professors (who were actually looking for him, though he didn't know it), and caretaker filch and his cat. Finally, at about 2 am, Harry was forced to curl up behind a tapestry, cold and exhausted. Reality had hit home to Harry. His world was completely changed, and he had a feeling it was only going to get worse. He fell into a fitful sleep, curled up out of sight on the cold castle floor, feeling very alone.


	4. Chapter 3

Author's Note:

No, this isn't the next chapter of "what if you had to die…" but I've been working this around in my head for awhile, and I feel like I should get it down before it was lost. As usual, I own nothing!

A word regarding gender pronouns: for the most part, during the early part of this story I will continue to use "he/him" for Harry's POV, and "she/her" for the perception of others. The exception to this will be when something happens that causes Harry's self-image to shift, and I'll the feminine pronouns to reflect this.

WARNING: This chapter contains some, mostly vague, descriptions of anatomy and an attempted rape. You have been warned.

**Chapter 3**

Morning came, and Harry found himself curled behind a suit of armor, a pillow behind his head and a blanket around his smaller form. He couldn't tell where it had come from, but was grateful for whoever had provided it for him. He stretched out, and then froze, the despair from the night before beginning to creep back up on him.

"You've had the staff in quite an uproar looking for you, Potter." Came a dry comment from the other side of the hall. Harry looked over and saw Snape standing there, leaning against the opposite wall.

"I'm sorry, sir." Harry said quietly, his softer voice still uncomfortable in his ears. Snape waved off the comment.

"Our venerable Headmaster apparently forgot to tell you where you would be sleeping last night. Your dorm-mates had quite a story for their Head of House, about a "cute bird" who had visited their dorm room."

Maybe it was the snarky tone, or the fact that it was Snape who had said it, but the comment actually made Harry smile slightly, causing Snape to shake his head. "You'll grow tired of hearing this, Potter, but as much as you favored your father before, you are almost the spitting image of Lily." He walked over and stretched out a hand, which Harry regarded cautiously for a moment before accepting the help up. A wave of Snape's wand banished the bedding from the floor, just as Sirius and Remus rounded a corner.

"Harry!"

"Hey Sirius, Remus." Harry brushed off his robes and nodded his thanks to Snape. "Forget to tell me something important last night?"

Snape actually chuckled at the abashed looks on the faces of the Marauders, and turned to leave. "As much as I enjoy seeing those two squirm, I should attend to my classes. Lupin, Black, don't forget you two have responsibilities now." He nodded to Harry and walked swiftly down the corridor, his robes billowing behind him.

Harry put a hand on his hip, a position he had seen Hermione use when she was she was ready to dress down him and Ron. He got no small bit of pleasure in seeing them shrink back more.

"I know that look, Padfoot. Lily used it just before hexes started flying."

"I agree Moony. Marauder response number 4?"

"Indeed."

The two men flung themselves on the floor and began to prostrate themselves at his feet. "We're so sorry! Please forgive us! It was Dumbledore's fault!" The two men alternated between excuses and pleas for forgiveness. Harry began giggling, then caught himself and stopped at hearing the feminine sound echoing down the corridor.

Realizing that the fun was over, the two older wizards dusted themselves off, Sirius placing an arm around his now god-daughter.

"We're sorry, Harry. If you want, come follow me to the common room, and I'll show you the suite of rooms you'll be using."

"Suite?"

"Back a couple hundred years ago, married students used to be pretty common during their last years at school, so there are suites off of all the common rooms for that. Until you get settled in, you'll need some privacy."

"Why…. Umm.." Harry blushed "What about the girl's dorms?" he asked in a quiet voice. Both men regarded him seriously for a moment, before Remus answered slowly.

"Are you ready for that?"

"N… no. I don't think so."

Sirius nodded. "Since we've started teaching, we've actually been told about those alarms, and why we could never seem to get around them in school, and why no one has. Technically the wards are gender based, but as I'm sure you know, things like polyjuice could change that superficially, and, well, you're in a unique position to know as well, that physical gender doesn't apply."

Remus took over. "Basically, its an age line, with a compulsion based ward around it. Anyone under the age of 18 must have absolutely no doubts that they are allowed in the rooms at the top of the stairs. I don't think you're anywhere near ready for that. And until you are, those alarms are going to get triggered." He paused for a second, and blushed slightly, "Apparently, and don't you dare spread this around, Rolanda Hooch started setting those off her 4th year when she decided that she was.. umm…"

"Queer as a brass sickle?"

"Thank you Sirius." He shook his head. "Anyways, a little seed of guilt formed about a relationship she was having with Bel…" His eyes widened and suddenly took in the very red face of the witch in front of him. "I really shouldn't have said that. Let's… um… go check out those rooms."

Harry nodded so fast he felt like a house elf.

The rooms Harry was shown to were tastefully decorated, containing a large four poster bed, and a sitting area with a large bookcase. There were a few portraits on the wall, all scenes of animals or just forests, no occupants to make Harry feel uncomfortable. Off to one side was a small bathroom, with a shower and a tub to soak in. All in all it felt very homey, but at the same time very lonely. He'd been told that he could have any of his friends in the sitting room that he wanted, but they asked that only witches enter the bedroom, and even then that none stay overnight without asking a professor. The subtext of the conversation was very adroitly sidestepped, but Harry blushed all the same. The two men left, and Harry began unpacking his trunk. Again he balked when he found the undergarments and dresses, but knew that it was something he would have to get used to. He picked up the plainest looking bra and knickers he could find, and headed into the bathroom.

He stripped in front of the mirror, and again stared with some trepidation at the reflection in front of him. He had been ignoring the obviously physical differences that his reflections had held before, but his eyes were drawn to the breasts and the small patch of hair between his legs. Sighing at the inevitability of it, he grabbed a stool from the sink behind him and sat down, hesitantly spreading his legs.

He had no real concept of what he was looking at, having no sex education before to speak of, but he had heard several of his dorm mates (Seamus, Dean and Ron) talking about a girl's 'pussy' and 'clit.' Probing fingers found the little bump at the top of the folds of skin, giving him a jolt of… something, and he pulled his hand away as if electrocuted. Another gentle touch allowed him to spread the skin, seeing a slightly defined opening just below, with a thin membrane barely visible under the skin. A vague idea of what that was and what could be done there made him start again, and he all but threw himself from the chair. He got into the shower quickly and began scrubbing himself, feeling disturbed and shaky for reasons he couldn't really explain to himself.

The remainder of the week found Harry slowly being integrated back into the student population. The story of what had happened to him had spread, with some students under the impression that he had gone off to face the Dark Lord on his own, to other rumors saying that Umbridge had kidnapped him to have her wicked way with him. (That one made him almost physically ill) Defense and, surprisingly, Potions were the easiest classes for him, with neither the Marauders nor Snape allowing much attention to be paid to the changes in Harry, and yet making allowances for the time that he had missed. Like anything new, Harry was the subject of much gossip and curiosity, and he found himself accompanied by Luna, Ginny, Neville, or, occasionally Ron and Hermione. His two best friends treated him oddly still, though they tried to not show it. Hermione was much quieter around him, as if she was unsure how to react, and Ron was the opposite, almost insisting that nothing was wrong and nothing had changed. Luna and Ginny had giggled about 'denial' but Harry missed the connotation.

Two weeks had gone by since the change, and Harry had settled into something of a routine. He'd wake up, brush his hair out (while it seemed much more tame during the day, he had learned that in the mornings it was almost frightening), and try to make himself look presentable. For the most part, he was ignored by both genders in the castle, neither seeming to know how to react. Friday morning, though, he woke with a feeling that something was wrong, a sense of quiet forboding. He found himself feeling different most of the day, more aware of the presence of the other students, and wanting abit more space than usual.

Turning a corner, he found a smirking Draco Malfoy blocking the corridor, flanked by Goyle, (Crabbe had already been expelled and arrested, he had learned) and Ted Nott. All three were named as being at the death eater meeting, all three supposedly locked up and awaiting trial.

"Well, well, well… Seems that the rumors are true. Harry Bloody Potter is a little witch now."

Harry cursed his lack of attention, and moved the books in his hand closer to his chest. "What do you want, Malfoy?" he asked, his voice breaking slightly.

Draco moved off the wall he had been leaning on, slinking towards Harry like a snake. "Look at that, she's even acting like a scared ickle girl." He grabbed Harry by the chin, and his two friends grabbed his hands as Harry moved for his wand. Harry was more scared than he had ever been before, his body shaking, and his magic itself feeling like it wasn't under his control. "I wonder if the change is as complete as they say it is, boys?" His slimy grin turned lewd. "Lets find out."

The boys shoved Harry into a classroom next to them, one of them silencing her as she tried to scream. Goyle began to paw at her robes, finally ripping them open, exposing the white shirt underneath, her bright red bra visible beneath it. "Strip her down, Goyle, but don't forget I'm first." Malfoy breathed, his voice getting ragged as his breathing sped up. The bigger boy chuckled, as he pulled her shirt open. Nott's free hand slapped her on the bum. His grip tightening to keep her from getting away.

Despite only having the vaguest idea of the mechanics involved, Harry suddenly knew with crystal certainty what the boys were about to try to do to her. She struggled against them, her body not responding as fast as she wanted, her reflexes still not up to where they had been before the change. Fear gripped her mind and she could barely even form the energy to scream as Malfoy took a knife to her bra, cutting it right between her cleavage.

"Well well, Potter, we may have some fun with you after all." He said in what she thought he was trying to make a seductive voice, but it just made her want to vomit. Goyle had worked his way behind her and had his arms pinning her shoulders back, and she realized that she was no longer able to move her arm at all, and as he pulled her upwards, she suddenly lost her footing as well. Malfoy had reached her knickers, and his hand roughly began pulling them down, brushing the outside of her sex. At that touch, she suddenly felt like she could focus her magic, and it finally responded, a bolt of white light sending Malfoy spinning across the room just as his hand approached his belt. He got up and wiped his lip, just as Nott slapped her across the face. "You'll pay for that, you little bitch. We'll take it out of your pretty little arse if we have to."

Fortunatly for Harry, the light and the thump of Malfoy's body against the wall had drawn the attention of Harry's friends who had come looking for him when he didn't show up for class. Ron took one look at his best friend, robes and shirt torn, bra cut open and dangling free, barely covering her breasts, and he lost it, throwing spells at the three boys faster than Hermione or Neville could even draw their wands. Between the three friends, the would-be-rapists were stunned and trussed up, Neville sent to get a professor.

"Alright there, Harry?" Ron asked.

Harry threw herself into Ron's arms, thinking only of the fact that he had come to protect her. "They… they wanted to…"

Hermione motioned for Ron to comfort her, herself torn between watching the three boys and still feeling uncomfortable around her best friend. Ron hugged the girl in his arms tightly.

"I know, Harry. We stopped them. You're safe now" he whispered, his experience with Ginny growing up giving him at least some idea of how to help his friend.

"Thank you all," Harry whispered. She settled into Ron's arms, smelling his cologne as she breathed softly, trying to get herself under control. She felt so much safer in his arms, she realized, and her heart sped up slightly at the contact with him. His breath on her hair and the feel of his arms on her back made her breath catch slightly, her nipples tightening and a growing feeling of heat and dampness between her legs. He would never hurt her, and she felt so good being held like this, barely clothed, his bare hands on her back. She almost moaned softly at the feelings he was inspiring in her….

Suddenly, his mind slammed itself to a halt, and horrified at how his mind and body were betraying him, Harry pushed himself away from Ron, who looked at her… HIM curiously.

"Harry?"

Hermione noticed the look on Harry's face, and misinterpreted it, "Harry, its alright, they're stunned now. Neville went to get a professor, and Ron and I will-"

Harry interrupted her with a terrified, "NO!" and grabbed his robes, running out of the room as he pulled them against his chest to cover himself.

He ran as fast as he could back to his quarters stripping down and throwing himself into the tub in his bathroom, trying to scrub away the feelings that had been inspired in him both by Malfoy and his goons, and by Ron.

He'd been scrubbing nearly 20 minutes when he heard the voice of Sirius from his sitting area.

"Harry? Are you in here?"

"No!" He screamed, well aware of how ridiculous he sounded. "Go away!"

"Harry, what happened?"

Almost crying, Harry screamed "NOTHING! Please just leave!" finally giving out, Harry collapsed into a heap, sobbing. He heard a quiet conversation outside, and then felt a pair of arms lifting him from the water.

"Harry… Harry sweetie, look at me." Harry looked up, into the face of the pink-haired Auror he had met over the summer.

"Tonks?"

"Shh… its me, Harry. Don't talk right now. I want you to get dressed in a robe and come sit with me by the fire. Can you do that?" Harry nodded, grateful that he wasn't being asked to talk about things just yet, and stood as Tonks left the room, drying himself quickly, wincing at the sensitivity of his breasts and… other places. He pulled on a soft robe and walked into the sitting room, where Tonks was waiting for him, a plate of chocolate pastries and tall mugs of steaming milk sitting on a table next to her.

She gestured to the spot next to her, and pulled Harry against her, running her hands through her hair softly, not speaking for a long time, just moving long enough to let Harry reach for a pastry and mug of milk when he was ready.

"They tried to rape me, Tonks." He whispered, his voice shaking.

"I know, Harry. They're singing like canaries under veritaserum right now. There are very few things that will get that treatment, but- what they tried to do is one of them."

"They… they tried to rape me… and I couldn't stop them! I… tried to get my wand, or shake their hands off, but they were too strong. And it felt like I was moving through mud or something. My magic wouldn't even respond."

Tonks seemed to consider Harry's words for a moment, but didn't interrupt. "Then… They had me almost naked, and Malfoy was about to…" Harry choked back a sob, "Then Ron and the others came in and started casting at them." Harry closed his eyes, terror on his face. "When Ron hugged me… I- I WANTED him to hold me tighter. I wanted…" He stared up at Tonks, who was watching him. "I wanted Ron. So bad. Why?"

Tonks sighed heavily. "There's so many things I need to tell you to answer that question, Harry." Her hair cycled from pink to a dark blonde, her face acquiring abit more angular features, making her look a good deal more like Sirius. "Your body had just been subjected to some extreme emotions, and when Ron held you, some of the other feelings started to catch up. Embarrassment and exposure can lead to arousal, sometimes, even when you don't want it to." Harry nodded, not really understanding. Tonks noticed. "Harry… do you know why witches are pulled out of classes during their second or third years? Sometimes their first?"

"I remember Hermione was gone during first year, right before the mess with the Stone. She was missing like a week, and when I asked why, she just got all red and told me not to worry about it."

Tonks exhaled softly, "Yeah, that happens with muggleborns more often now. Do you know how wizards and witches are different, Harry? I don't mean just the plumbing which you've seen both of, but what they do, and how they work? What happens to witches magic when… they grow up?"

Harry, embarrassed and uncertain, just shook his head, his face downcast, allowing his long hair to spill around his face.

Tonks nodded, "I didn't think so. Okay, kiddo. We need to Talk."

Harry gulped, causing her to smile.

The most embarrassing hour of his life… well, second most, to be honest… followed that statement, as Tonks explain to him about the affect of puberty on a witch's magic. She learned that most witches couldn't even cast properly through a wand during their first period, as their hormones made focusing their magic very difficult, and those that could found the effect of their spells to be wildly different, with some being much weaker, and others being strong enough to do significant damage. After that point, though, a witch could focus better, giving her a much finer control and often revealing hidden talents. Apparently Tonks discovered her morphing abilities during her first period, unable to keep her hair or eyes the same color for a period of more than 5 minutes. Then she went into the actual mechanics of what he would be experiencing in the coming week biologically, making him cringe. She left, telling him to rest and not cast any magic, and to see Madame Pomphrey if he felt anything was wrong or needed to ask questions.

After Tonks left, saying she was going to ensure that the three boys would see trial, he lay back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Tonks told him it would be best for him to attend classes for at least the next day, but not cast any spells. He would be excused from classes the following day until his period was over.


End file.
